Here is the preliminary design of the back of the invitations for a friend getting married in June.
Weddings
I have lately had the pleasure and honor of designing wedding invitations for a few friends. It's been exciting to help them bring their special day to life in full color.
Here is the preliminary design of the back of the invitations for a friend getting married in June.
Here is the preliminary design of the back of the invitations for a friend getting married in June.
Cape Hatteras
Just got home from visiting my boyfriend's parents in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. These are some of my favorite pictures from the trip.
The dunes
What happens to the sand after a torrential downpour
What happens to the road after a torrential downpour
This sweet-smelling moon-flower was sure a surprise when I watched it bloom before my eyes...
The dunes
What happens to the sand after a torrential downpour
What happens to the road after a torrential downpour
This sweet-smelling moon-flower was sure a surprise when I watched it bloom before my eyes...
Wishes
This past week I was in Washington, welcoming baby Mya into the world. Her parents are close friends of mine, and we spent most of the time admiring her, wondering how she sees the world, and jumping to action whenever she started to cry. Every little bit of her was new to us, from tiny perfect ears to little curling toes. We marveled at actions as simple as spit bubbles and her rolling off a pillow. And, in turn, she took in the world around her with big blue eyes. The first rays of sunshine, the first bath, all moments to be appreciated and captured with photographs.
I share this photo as inspiration for us all to spend some time looking at the world around us as a newborn does. With fresh eyes, no expectations. To appreciate each moment for what it is -- something special, never to be experienced again. It is too easy to get jaded by the everyday and to forget to see the beauty in the world around us.
For a child, just dancing to the music can be the best entertainment in the world. In a time of everyone asking for more, more, more, it's good to be reminded of the simplicity of a child.
May day is Lei day in Hawai'i
I attended the Lei day festival in Kapiolani park on May day (May 1st). Here are some photos from the event. This first one shows how all the lei that were entered for competition were hanging up for public viewing.
Some of my favorite were the lei made for placing on lauhala hats. They are so intricate and lovely!
Click on the photos to see a larger version.
White Space
“'Whitespace,' or 'negative space' is the space between elements in a composition."
-from A List Apart
These are both terms used to refer to any element of a layout that isn't filled with stuff, such as the space you see the the left of this article. It's not necessarily white, and could have color or even pattern, but it's a visual resting point, where nothing too busy or important is happening... but it's important to have nonetheless. Because when there isn't enough white space, a design is going to feel like too much is going on, and there's no place to focus.
Recently I was asked to design a brochure for the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association (or NHOA). Their original brochure is shown on the right, my new design is on the left.
As you can see, I tried to not fill up the space too much, and allow room for each element to "breathe". The client had also tried to do the same with their original brochure and not make it too cluttered, which I approved of. But there was just a lot of text, which isn't very interesting to look at. So I added a number of hawaii-themed photos to break up the text, and used colored boxes to help organize the layout. Since there was a lot of information my client needed to include, I did not go with the default size (letter-size page folded in three) but had the final product printed on a 11x17 sheet so that I had enough room.
The client was really happy with the final product, which I was happy to hear! And I know white space is partly to thank for that. =)
-from A List Apart
These are both terms used to refer to any element of a layout that isn't filled with stuff, such as the space you see the the left of this article. It's not necessarily white, and could have color or even pattern, but it's a visual resting point, where nothing too busy or important is happening... but it's important to have nonetheless. Because when there isn't enough white space, a design is going to feel like too much is going on, and there's no place to focus.
Recently I was asked to design a brochure for the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association (or NHOA). Their original brochure is shown on the right, my new design is on the left.
As you can see, I tried to not fill up the space too much, and allow room for each element to "breathe". The client had also tried to do the same with their original brochure and not make it too cluttered, which I approved of. But there was just a lot of text, which isn't very interesting to look at. So I added a number of hawaii-themed photos to break up the text, and used colored boxes to help organize the layout. Since there was a lot of information my client needed to include, I did not go with the default size (letter-size page folded in three) but had the final product printed on a 11x17 sheet so that I had enough room.
The client was really happy with the final product, which I was happy to hear! And I know white space is partly to thank for that. =)
the art of hula
Every Wednesday, I take a hula class from hula kumu Mapuana De Silva. I take the class because I love to dance, but also to help me better understand Hawai'i--the history, the language, and the culture.
Throughout my training, I've been focusing on gracefulness which is so integral to hula. Even when the song has a fast beat and the movements are difficult, the dancers are always supposed to smile and move in a flowing manner, without appearing to rush. At first, I had expected that trying to be graceful in addition to moving my body in the right directions at the right time would make dancing more complicated. Instead, I've discovered that focusing on being graceful makes dancing easier.
What does this have to do with design or business? Well, especially with working in Hawai'i, I strive to be as full of grace when I'm working as I am when I'm dancing. I know from experience that for many people working in say, Washington DC, that if you're not stressed out, then other people don't think that you're taking your job seriously. But here, on the islands, there is a popular bumper sticker: "Slow Down, this ain't the Mainland." The bumper sticker is a reference to driving, but it applies to the rest of life too. Things flow at a slower pace here. For example, I've found showing up 15 minutes early for meetings is too early, because often my client is still eating lunch or simply isn't ready until they're ready. That's not an excuse for slacking off or being lazy (I still arrive on time), it's a different perspective. It's a way of moving through life with more ease and peace, because it means your day can unfold by flowing from one thing to the next, instead of running around frantically trying to always go faster and faster. And living with grace makes it easier to remember to smile. =)
Throughout my training, I've been focusing on gracefulness which is so integral to hula. Even when the song has a fast beat and the movements are difficult, the dancers are always supposed to smile and move in a flowing manner, without appearing to rush. At first, I had expected that trying to be graceful in addition to moving my body in the right directions at the right time would make dancing more complicated. Instead, I've discovered that focusing on being graceful makes dancing easier.
What does this have to do with design or business? Well, especially with working in Hawai'i, I strive to be as full of grace when I'm working as I am when I'm dancing. I know from experience that for many people working in say, Washington DC, that if you're not stressed out, then other people don't think that you're taking your job seriously. But here, on the islands, there is a popular bumper sticker: "Slow Down, this ain't the Mainland." The bumper sticker is a reference to driving, but it applies to the rest of life too. Things flow at a slower pace here. For example, I've found showing up 15 minutes early for meetings is too early, because often my client is still eating lunch or simply isn't ready until they're ready. That's not an excuse for slacking off or being lazy (I still arrive on time), it's a different perspective. It's a way of moving through life with more ease and peace, because it means your day can unfold by flowing from one thing to the next, instead of running around frantically trying to always go faster and faster. And living with grace makes it easier to remember to smile. =)
What does "niele" mean?
"Niele" (pronouced "knee-el-ay") is a Hawaiian word that means curious, nosy or inquisitive.
So why did I choose that name for my business? Because I feel like it says a lot about me and how I work. For one, it means I am all about asking questions. Getting to know a person, and their business is the first step to coming up with a design or marketing solution that will work. How do I find that out? By asking them, of course! Secondly, it means that I am interested in the world at large. I'm always reading new books, magazines, and anything that peeks my interest on the web. I talk to strangers about their lives, their opinions. I am always learning, absorbing what is happening around me and around the world.
And that's why my slogan is "be curious." I think it's good advice. There is the cliche, of course, that "curiosity killed the cat" and I say to that, well, I'm not a cat.
So why did I choose that name for my business? Because I feel like it says a lot about me and how I work. For one, it means I am all about asking questions. Getting to know a person, and their business is the first step to coming up with a design or marketing solution that will work. How do I find that out? By asking them, of course! Secondly, it means that I am interested in the world at large. I'm always reading new books, magazines, and anything that peeks my interest on the web. I talk to strangers about their lives, their opinions. I am always learning, absorbing what is happening around me and around the world.
And that's why my slogan is "be curious." I think it's good advice. There is the cliche, of course, that "curiosity killed the cat" and I say to that, well, I'm not a cat.
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